Whirligig toy



Jan. 13, 193 1. H HARPER 1,788,869

WHIPLIGIG TOY Filed March 10, 1950 A TTO RNE Y.

Patent ed Jan. 13, 19 31 Uni ran sT'A'rss HENRY HARFER, or sAnEM,sourH CAROLINA.

wmnnrcriev TOY Application filed March 10,1Q3Og3tSerial no. 434,eos.

This invention relates to an improved Whirligig toy of the type embodying a vertical spinning shaft having an ornamental wheel secured thereon to spin therewith, the

6 spinning of the shaft and wheel being effected by means of a cross member slidable on the shaft above thewheel, and a cord connected at its ends to the opposite ends of said cross member and having its intermediate portion connected to the top of the shaft.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toy of the above kind wherein the wheel, the cord and the cross member may be readily removed from and applied to the '15 shaft to permit one form of wheel to be substituted for another, thereby increasing the field of amusement afforded by the toy.

.Another object is to provide a toy of the above kind which is simple and durable in construction, and economical to manufacture. A further object is to provide a knob or handle in which the spinning shaft is journaled and retained in a simple and efficient manner, and whereby the toy may be readily held in one hand while manipulating the cross member with the-other hand.

Theinvention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing, and claimed. In the drawing v Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of. a Whirligig toy embodying the present'invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of Figure 1. r Figure 3' is a fragmentary vertical section on line33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view 7 showing the upper end ofthespinning shaft and'the adjacent portionof-the cord; and

F1gure5 is a'plan view'of a modified form of spinning wheel.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates an elongated spinning shaft having an ornamental wheel 6 secured thereon, the lower end of the shaft 5 being journaled and retained in a knob 7 by which the toy is held in one hand. Slidable on the shaft 5 above the wheel 6 is a cross member 8, and attached ure 5, the same beingin the nature-of a star tothe oppositeends of the cross member 8 are the ends of a cord 9 whose intermediate 'por% tion is connected to. the top of the shaft 5. As shown in Figure 4, the shaft 5 has a longitudjinal slot 10in its, upper end in which the .intermediateportion ofthe cord 9'is removably but frictionally engaged. Thus, byforcibly disengaging the cord'from slot 10, the'cross member 8, may beslid upwardly and removed from the shaft 5 with the'cord.

The wheel 6 rests on a collar 11 which is permanently fastened on the shaft 5 by means of tacks 12, or the like. Projecting upwardly from the collar 11 are. pins 13 adapted to removably enter openingsl lin .the centralportion of the wheel 6 to key said wheel to the shaft 5 for spinning therewith. 'A further collar 15 is removably disposed on the shaft 5 and held by across pin 16 upon the wheell6 to secure it upon the collar 11.

Thus, after removal of the cross member 8 and cord 9, the collar 15 and wheel 6 may he slid upwardly off of the shaft 5 to permita different form of wheel to be placed on the. shaft in place of the wheel6. The wheel 6 is shown in the form of an apertured disk having. projectingperipheral whistles 17 at-v ,tached thereto and adapted to be'sounded by the action of the air when the wheel is caused to spin back and forth in the usual way by alternately pulling downwardly upon and releasing the cross member 8, after the cord 9 is initially wound on the shaft A form of wheel which may be substituted for the wheel 6 is shown in Figwheel 6a having whistles 17 (1 attached to the points thereof, and provided with a central opening 18 to receive the shaft 5 and aper tures'laa to receivethe pins 13. 1 99 i The knob 7 embodies a lower member hav inga conical socket 19 inthe top thereof within which is seated a conical enlarged head 20 formed on the lower end of the shaft 5, thus providing asimple and efficient 9s end thrust bearing for said shaft inthe knob 7. The knob 7 further embodies a top member 21 fitted 0a the shaft5 and fastened upon the lower member of the knob by tacks 22 ortheglike so as to engage the head 20 and permanently connect the shaft 5 and knob 7 together.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a construction which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and by which the desired objects are attained in a facile manner. Minor changes are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a Whirligig toy of the character described, a knob embodying a lower member havinga conical socket in the top thereof, a vertical spinning shaft having an enlarged conical head at its lower end jonrnaled in said socket, said knob further" embodying; an upper member secured to the lower member thereof and engaging the head on the lower end of said spinning shaft to connect the latter and the knob together, a wheel fixed on said shaft, a cross member freely slidable on the shaft'above said wheel, and a flexible cord connected at its ends to the opposite ends of said cross member and having its intermediate portion connected to the top of said shaft.

2. In a Whirligig toy of the character described, a base, a vertical spinning shaft having its; lower end journaled in said base and provided with a longitudinal slot in the upper end thereof, a cross member freely slidable on the shaft, a flexible uold connected at its ends to the opposite ends of the cross' member and having its intermediate portion frictionally and detachably engaged in the slot in the upper end of the shaft, a collar fixed on the shaft below the cross member, a wheel detachably secured on said collar, and means connecting the wheel to said collar for turning with the latter and the shaft when the latter is caused tospin, said wheel and the cross member and the cord being upwardly removable from the shaft.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

HENRY HARPER. 

